Aura's Chosen
by MyLifeMyRules
Summary: Betrayal, Love, and Pokemon's re-write. Ash goes through a life-changing transformation that hasn't been seen for centuries. Will the changes that affect him mentally and physically be enough to save the world? Is the world worth saving? Ash/Cynthia
1. Chapter 1 New Endings and Old Beginnings

**Well, it finally happened. Welcome to Betrayal, Love, and Pokemon's official Re-Write. I'm sorry it took so long. I went back, read all the reviews you guys left on it and I wanted to somehow thank you for all the support. So... Here it is. Betrayal, Love, and Pokemon how it should have happened the first time.**

**Pairing: Ash/Cynthia**

**Ages: Cynthia: 21. Ash: 16.**

**Rated M for Violence, Language, Fluff?**

**Summary: Betrayal, Love, and Pokemon's re-write. Ash goes through a life-changing transformation that hasn't been seen for centuries. Will the changes that affect him mentally and physically be enough to save the world? Is the world worth saving? Ash/Cynthia**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. I figure that is pretty obvious...**

**Aura's Chosen (Betrayal, Love, and Pokemon's re-write) - Aura's Chosen sounds more catchy. **

**Chapter 1 – New Endings and Old Beginnings.**

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><p>A young man with unruly black hair hidden under a Pokemon League hat was staring at the floor, a blank expression on his face as thoughts whirled around in his head. No one spared the young man a second glance as they continued on, having places to go, things to do, and people to meet. That would be nice, not having a care, being able to ignore the sorrow, agony, pain, and anger that plagued their world. To be able to ignore the people that experience such emotions every day, to turn a blind eye to those who are unable to take everything they have for granted. He would give anything to go back to such a life, he would give anything to go back in time and change what had taken place that day.<p>

Would it make any difference though? Could he really have done anything to change the outcome of today? Certainly he would have tried, he may very well have died doing it, lost several things he had lost anyway, but the one thing that mattered most to him might have made it. If he had been stronger, if he hadn't wasted all the time that he had acting so childish, if he had been able to read the signs and take the precautions he should have taken.

It wasn't completely his fault, and he knew that, though he loathed to admit it. At the same time, it was more his fault than anyone else. He could have prevented this, he should have prevented this, but he was too busy living in a fantasy, a childish dream of becoming a Pokemon Master had taken that which was most important to him.

What had he expected, honestly. He had messed with too many people for this to come as a surprise to him, yet he had foolishly believed himself invincible, and now he was paying the price. There were consequences for everything in life, some good and some bad. This had been a bad one, and the worst part was someone else had taken the brunt of it, all he had was the emotional consequence, someone else had taken the physical.

"Ash Ketchum, your pokemon are ready for you." The sound of a sweet voice broke the young man out of his thoughts.

With a sigh the black haired trainer walked over to the counter the sweet voice had come from, eying the pretty nurse warily. The young man took the five poke-balls from the tray and felt a weight on his shoulder. Turning his head to see the yellow electric mouse pokemon staring at him in concern.

He felt slightly better, seeing the familiar face on his shoulder. "You alright?" he asked his partner softly, sure that had the electric mouse not have sensitive hearing he would not have heard the question.

"Pika." The small mouse nuzzled his cheek and nodded.

"Thank you." the young trainer said, turning back to the pink haired nurse, still unable to find the strength to put any emotion onto his face.

"You're quite welcome, is there anything else you need?" Ash immediately saw the look of pity that was on her face and he bit back a rather rude remark. He didn't need anyone feeling sorry for him, he had plenty of that on his own.

"I'm fine."

The pink haired nurse nodded but as an after thought she called to his retreating back. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm right here."

The young man with a Pikachu on his shoulder stopped, and turned slightly. He opened his mouth to say something but the words died in his throat. Instead he gave her a small nod before exiting the center.

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><p>Ash Ketchum walked along the fairly deserted path that led from the Pokemon Center to the Stadium. His head tilted up as he saw the large screen on far side of the stadium. The final two in the final eight were going at it, trying to secure a spot in the final four. Shaking his head with a sigh he continued walking with his head down, not caring where he was going, and not noticing the growing look of concern on his yellow companion's face.<p>

The emotionally confused young man had been wondering the paths, never looking up, trying hard to clear his head with little success. Finally he was forced to a stop when he saw two shadows, elongated by the setting sun, in his path. His head tilted up and he inwardly groaned, of all the people he didn't want to see right now, they were on the top of the list.

"Ash! Where have you been? We have been worried sick, you better have a good excuse for making us wait so long!" The young black haired trainer sighed, he wasn't in the mood for one of Dawn's rants or Brock trying to give advice, acting as if he were all knowing and wise.

"I was at the Pokemon Center." Ash said in an emotionless voice that seemed to match his face.

"Oh... Well what took you so long! Why didn't you tell us where you were going? Also, what happened today? I haven't seen you battle so poorly since that gym battle with Roark." Dawn simply didn't get that he wanted to be left alone, and her constant nagging was grating on his nerves more than usual.

"Ash, are you feeling alright? We should go have a talk, I could probably give you some advice for what you're going through, I was your age once and I probably went through the same thing." Ah, there it was, the wise Brock with his fountain of knowledge.

Of course Brock didn't know what he was going through or how he felt, Ash himself didn't even know how he felt. Would that stop them from trying to meddle into his life? No, no it wouldn't, he was sick and tired of them treating him like a child, everyone treating him like a child. He had saved the bloody world several times, and their lives personally more times than he cared to count.

Everyone looked to him when they needed him to do something heroic, but any other time he was a child that couldn't care for himself. The pain, anguish, and anger that had been building in him was slowly starting to make its presence known, and he had to bite back more sarcastic remarks than he ever thought he was capable of.

Where was their pain? They had been at his side when he had been out there, saving the world. Ash rolled his eyes at the description,_ '_saving the world'... more like _'_making enemies_'. _He didn't wish the pain he felt right now on anyone, but he still felt cheated that he was the only one paying the price of his 'heroic actions'. They had been there, they had never done much to help, mostly they just got in the way, but still they had been there, why weren't they being targeted?

"Ash! Are you even listening to us! So you lost your battle to Paul, big whoop. Just because you got creamed by your arch rival again doesn't mean you can go around moping about it and treating us like crap!" Once again he was torn away from his thoughts, she really couldn't just keep her mouth shut.

The fact that she thought he was acting this way because of some stupid battle would have been amusing, but with all the other emotions running through the teenage trainer's body he just didn't have any room for amusement.

With a sigh he tried to push past them but they seemed intent on not letting him leave. "Just... Just leave me alone, alright?" Ash tried brushing past them once more, he would talk to them later, explain why he wasn't in the mood to talk right now, but of course they would never allow that. They wouldn't just leave him alone to think, they had to crowd him and offer him advice he didn't want on a subject they knew nothing about. All the smothering was making him mentally and physically ill.

Dawn apparently didn't understand what 'leave me alone' meant though, as the young man tried brushing past them once more she shoved him hard in the chest, effectively sending him several feet backwards. Not expecting this he lost his footing and landed hard on his ass. Pikachu was getting annoyed at the two standing in their way and hopped off Ash's shoulder, sparks flying around his tail and cheeks as he glared at the two.

"They aren't worth it Pi." The mouse pokemon hopped back on his now standing trainer's shoulder, still glaring at them from his perch. All the emotions he had been feeling during the day came rushing forward in a tidal wave. The normally gentle brown eyes flashed a dangerous cold blue as he glared at the two standing in his way.

"If you do not move, I will move you." The sound of his voice shocked even himself. It sounded cold and hard. The vicious sound of his voice combined with the cold blue eyes they had never seen before shocked them into moving. Finally he was able to push past them, the urge to lash out at them physically was barely contained as he stalked forward, his entire body running off of pure emotion.

"Ash! Stop! What's wrong with you!"

He stopped, turning on his heel to face them, the piercing blue ripping into them. "Don't pretend that you know me. Don't pretend you know what I'm going through. I will say it one last time. Leave. Me. Alone." With that Ash turned and started walking away, leaving the two stuttering and wide-eyed. The words had a strong affect, but stronger still was the hate and anger that had been seeping out of him. Neither had ever seen Ash like this, the strange piercing and cold blue eyes, the feral snarl on his lips, and the emotion that he seemed to almost physically unleash on them. Both of them gave each other a quick look before high tailing it back to the Pokemon Center.

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><p>Ash had been stalking through the dense forest for what felt like hours now. He didn't know where he was going, but he had left the path long ago and was now traveling blindly through the dark forest as the sun was almost completely set. Every single emotion he had been feeling all day was erupting from where he had sealed them deep inside himself. Sadness, pain, anger, disgust, regret, sorrow, and disappointment were only a few of the emotions that were now running rampant in his body.<p>

If he had bothered to look he would have realized that his body had taken on a blue glow, the pure energy of the emotions surrounding him, growing more and more by the minute. The urge to destroy something had been trying to force itself into his mind, but so far he had been able to force it back.

Unable to stand the growing energy any longer he broke out into a full sprint. The black haired youth dodged left and right to avoid any obstacles, jumping over fallen trees, and ducking under low hanging branches. He felt alive, he could feel the forest around him, feel the branches, the trees, the mud puddles. Ash could have easily closed his eyes and continued at the same breakneck pace, he wasn't using them anyway. He was feeling his way through the forest, pushing himself as hard as he could, using all of his pent up emotions as energy he ran faster than he ever had before, at a speed that would put even the best quick attack to shame.

Pikachu was hanging onto his companion's shoulder for dear life. The growing energy he felt from his trainer and the blue light surrounding his body had begun to make him nervous. The small mouse was amazed at how fast his friend was moving, and how agile he was in dodging anything in his way. The yellow mouse pokemon had no choice but to wait until his trainer stopped, he knew if he let go now he would not be able to keep up with him in the dark and dense forest.

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><p>Ash was starting to feel the emotions drain from him as he used the energy to run. He couldn't be sure how long he had been running, but it had to have been at least more than an hour. The ebon haired trainer's legs were burning and he was having to gasp for air as he continued running. The forest around him was starting to grow darker. Before he had been able to feel everything within several hundred feet, but the distance was slowly waning as he was forced to slow down, only being able to feel things within roughly five feet of him.<p>

The emotions had exhausted themselves and he had slowed down to little more than a jog. Having used all of his pent up energy he quickly slowed from a jog to a walk, the blue aura still engulfing him in its bright light. His ability to feel the things around him left him abruptly. The forest was pitch black, he finally noticed the blue light surrounding him and was entranced by its ethereal beauty.

All his energy left almost as suddenly as it had come. He could feel Pikachu still on his shoulder but the mouse felt as if he weighed a ton. Every last bit of energy he had he could feel going into the blue light surrounding him. After a few more steps he fell to the ground, panting heavily, unable to lift his weary limbs. Ash heard a soft squeak from his companion as he nudged his head trying to get him up. He wanted to get up, he did, but the pretty light around him needed his energy.

Pouring every last ounce of energy that he was able to call on at will into the pretty blue light, he felt the weight of his weary limbs drifting away as his eyes closed and he entered the blissful realm of darkness.

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><p><strong>Well there it is. The first Chapter of BL&amp;P's re-write. Let me know what you think. I'm only going to continue this if you guys think it's better than BL&amp;P was. <strong>

**I have the next chapter written, just need to proof read it and it will either be up later tonight or tomorrow. I don't have a Beta so I have to re-read my own work and yes I miss stuff, so I apologize for any mistakes I didn't catch. **

**I honestly don't know how often I will update. I'm going to try every weekend, but I might not be able to. I'm a Junior and school just started again. This is by far the hardest year I've had so far... Actually having homework and have to study and stuff, it's a new experience and I'm lazy by nature so yea...**

**Anyway, sorry for blabbing, Let me know what you think. Dawn and Brock's betrayal will become more evident in Chapter 3 – that's all I'm going to say on that subject. **

**Cynthia will be introduced as a main character next Chapter. As will Riley to a certain extent.**

**A lot of you who read Betrayal, Love, and Pokemon are probably wondering how this is a re-write, it is almost a completely different story, it is rather different. All I can say is everything that has happened, and will happen for the most part would have been a part of BL&P had I continued it, I just found a better place for the events.**

**Thank you all for reading, and I really hope you all enjoy this. I write for myself because If I don't I can't get the ideas out of my head, but giving you guys a good story to read is also a large reason I write, and your feedback is always appreciated.**

**~MyLifeMyRules~**


	2. Chapter 2 Cynthia Shirona

**Fluff. Action. Adventure. You're about to enter a world where all three of them combine.**

**But most prominent will probably be Fluff... I know all you Rayshippers love your Ash/Cynthia Fluff.**

**Aura's Chosen.**

**Chapter 2 – Cynthia Shirona.**

Cynthia Shirona was walking away from the stadium, admiring the beautiful street lights that lit up the entire path. This year had certainly been a strange one. The strange events had started when she had met two young trainers at Amity Square. She had been challenged by Paul, the serious one of the two and had easily defeated him. The beautiful champion had accepted the challenge because he reminded her much of herself when she had started out. Paul had appeared independent, driven, and focused on his goal. While she didn't agree with some of his training methods, it wasn't her place to judge him.

The second trainer had really caught her eye though. The young man had unruly black hair that he covered with a hat and his bond with his pokemon seemed strong and genuine. She could immediately see that while he wasn't as driven or focused he still had plenty of raw potential. The blonde beauty had realized that if he trained more seriously the black haired trainer could be very powerful one day. The bond he had with his pokemon combined with the strength he could achieve from some hard training would be a deadly combination.

Throughout the year the members of the Sinnoh Elite Four had run into him as well. From the stories they told he was getting stronger, but still was far from reaching his full potential. She had a strong feeling that him traveling with Dawn and Brock was crippling him. She admired his trait as a good friend, but traveling to all the contests with the girl and helping her train was simply taking up too much of his time. While she had no doubt the girl was competent enough and Brock, while annoying with his constant flirting, had seemed decent enough as well, they simply weren't giving him enough of a challenge.

Cynthia had become the Sinnoh Champion by training hard, and battling every strong trainer she could find. Ash seemed to be a bit more care free in his approach to training, and beating Dawn and Brock in battles constantly wasn't making him stronger, only over confident.

Then she had started to see a different side of the black haired boy. Team Galactic had been a small threat in the past, but their numbers quickly grew and their attacks were getting more dangerous. The Sinnoh Champion was not just going to let them get away with whatever they were planning, and it turned out to be quite a good thing they started getting involved. They had gotten a few spies into their organization and were soon heading off every one of their plans they could. Through doing this she started seeing more and more of Ash Ketchum.

It seemed as if every time there was a major attack or something big was happening he was right in the middle of it, not caring for his own safety and disregarding the fact that they were a powerful enemy to make. While his friends, Dawn and Brock would follow him, she could always sense how wary they were to get involved. Most of the time this left Ash to fend for himself while they watched. The thought of him getting hurt while his supposed two best friends sat back and did next to nothing angered her beyond belief.

She couldn't understand why he would get himself involved with Team Galactic, so she did some searching and was amazed at what she was able to find. Ash Ketchum had made himself very well known across the other regions for fighting off some of the most dangerous organizations out there, the likes of: Team Rocket, Magma, Aqua, and now Team Galactic. The stories she heard from the Elites and Champions of other regions only served in impressing her more.

As she continued to dig for information on the enigma known as Ash Ketchum the battle against Team Galactic came down to one final battle, and she wasn't surprised when she found him right there in the middle of it. The ebon haired teen had been brave and selfless as always, and together they cut off the head of Team Galactic and imprisoned all the top commanders as well as many of the grunts.

After the battle she had returned to her research, until she had found everything she could find about Ash Ketchum. With each new adventure of his she unraveled she became more and more interested in the young man. He was brave, selfless, and he cared strongly for his pokemon, given the right environment and proper training he could easily be a future champion. After making all of these new discoveries she had come to a decision.

If Ash Ketchum made it to the final four of the Sinnoh League she was going to take him on as an apprentice. It was rare these days for a current champion to take on an apprentice but not completely unheard of. Many times apprentices were taken by retired champions or elite members, but being apprenticed to a current member of a region's elites had its advantages. They would be able to experience the life of a champion first hand and were basically hailed as a future champion.

This is where her mind was now, and the events of the day were weighing on her mind. The blonde beauty had been simply thrilled, Ash's match to get into the final four was against his biggest rival but she had no doubt that he would come out on top. That's when things got interesting.

The battle had been terrible, one of the worst battles she had ever seen. Paul had decimated her future apprentice's first three pokemon as if they weren't there, something had been extremely wrong with Ash. After the fifteen minute break they had come back out on the field. Cynthia, the crowd, and even Paul were expecting some miraculous come back. It never came. Ash sent out Pikachu and he had been getting destroyed by Torterra. It had been about to end, Pikachu was going to get crushed by a very powerful earthquake when a white towel flew through the air and landed in the middle of the battle field.

Everyone in the entire arena had gone quiet, in shock. The referee took several moments to comprehend what had happened as well but finally signaled for the match to stop, stating that Ash had forfeited the match. The crowd didn't make any noise, the boy they had been cheering for had just thrown away the match, picked up his Pikachu, and left without a backwards glance.

The result would have been the same even without the forfeit and they all knew it. Paul had come prepared, he was ready for a fight that he was sure he was going to get. Ash had seemed to be half paying attention the whole time and when he did call out a move they had been ineffective. Paul had stared gob-smacked at the retreating form of the ebon haired trainer he had called a rival.

Cynthia's reaction was similar, she wanted nothing more than to go after the young man she had come to expect so much of and figure out exactly what happened. Unfortunately she had to stay and watch the rest of the final eight's matches, the only one she payed any attention to was Tobias', as his Darkrai made quick work of all 6 of his opponents pokemon. The final match had ended a short while ago, and after a long boring meeting she was finally able to leave, en route to the pokemon center to find Ash.

The Sinnoh beauty was almost to the pokemon center when a familiar yellow mouse running frantically towards her caught her eye. "Pikachu? Whats wrong? Where's Ash?"

The electric mouse came to a stop in front of her and started saying variations of his name at a rapid pace, pointing in the direction he had come from and looking incredibly worried. Cynthia blinked several times, and not for the first time found herself wishing she could understand pokemon.

Pikachu sighed impatiently and grabbed her hand in his small paws and started pulling her towards the direction he came. "You want me to follow you?" it was more of a statement but felt it should be asked. Pikachu nodded enthusiastically. "Is Ash there?" She was again met with a nod. "Is he in trouble?" Her hopes of him shaking his head 'no' were crushed when the small mouse again nodded and started frantically pulling her.

Getting up she quickly started following the yellow mouse, she spotted a problem however when they entered the dark forest that covered a good portion of the island. Pikachu took her hand and put it on his tail, before continuing at the fastest pace he could manage with her crouching and moving as quickly as she could behind him, holding onto his tail and trusting him not to run into something.

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><p>They had been navigating their way through the forest for hours, Cynthia was getting tired and her back was aching from the crouched position she had been moving in. Process seemed slow, they had to keep dodging left and right to avoid trees, and Pikachu had to stop every time they reached a fallen log or low branch so Cynthia could avoid tripping or smacking her head.<p>

Cynthia didn't think she would be able to continue for much longer, they had been in the forest for hours, and she wasn't even sure if they were simply going in circles. The blonde champion had been about to say something when she heard an excited "PikaPi!"

She looked ahead, and for the first time since entering the forest she saw something other than darkness. A strange pulsing blue light was ahead, Pikachu took off towards the blue light while she followed a bit slower, reaching for Garchomp's pokeball and holding it tightly in her hand.

Cynthia peered around the tree and froze when she realized what she was seeing. Ash was on the ground, she assumed he was unconscious, his face was twisted into a painful expression as the blue light she had seen was swirling around him. "Ash?" The beautiful champion asked softly, slowly walking towards him.

She hadn't been expecting a response and she didn't get one. She knelt down next to him and gently cupped his cheek. Pulling her hand back quickly she stared at him in shock, he was burning up. The blue light surrounding him looked similar to the aura her Lucario got when he meditated, although this looked dark and downright scary, unlike Lucario's calm aura. She grabbed a second pokeball from her waist and quickly called out Garchomp and Lucario.

Garchomp stared at the glowing boy curiously, while Lucario immediately ran to his side. Cynthia watched in awe as his paws took on the familiar blue color and the jackal pokemon pressed them firmly onto his chest. His eyes were closed for several minutes before he slowly backed up, staring wide-eyed at Ash. "Is he okay?" Cynthia asked softly, looking at the young man she wanted to take on as an apprentice in concern. Lucario shook his head, before turning to Garchomp, several grunts and 'raah's' later the large dragon pokemon picked Ash up in her arms and bent over, looking at her trainer expectantly.

Cynthia got on without question, she trusted their judgment. She held her arm out and Pikachu hopped onto her shoulder, looking down at his trainer in concern. Lucario climbed on behind her and they set off quickly, heading toward the hotel they were staying at on the mainland, leaving the island the Sinnoh League was being held on behind them.

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><p>They arrived at Cynthia's hotel room after a few minutes of flying, Garchomp seemed to be in a hurry. As they landed Cynthia, with Pikachu on her shoulder, and Lucario jumped off. The aura jackal spoke to the powerful dragon and she went over to the second bedroom, gently placing the unconscious young man on the bed and backed up. Lucario went to his side and started scanning the strange aura surrounding Ash, occasionally wincing as he passed over a particularly strong emotion that was flying around in the aura around him, making it several shades darker than normal.<p>

Cynthia felt useless, having no idea what she could do to help. She spotted a video-phone over in the corner and thought of the one person she knew who might be able to help explain what exactly was going on. Looking through the overly large phone book on the shelf underneath the video-phone she found the number she wanted and quickly dialed it, waiting impatiently for an answer.

She only had to wait a few moments before a familiar figure appeared on the screen, he yawned loudly before looking at the screen more carefully. "Cynthia? Do you have any idea what time it is? This had better be important."

She smiled brilliantly at him, and his scowl lessened, but couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Now Riley, is that any way to talk to the Sinnoh Champion?"

He rolled his eyes again, "No, milady, now what can I do for you at this un-godly hour at night?"

Cynthia's face grew serious, "Do you happen to know Ash Ketchum?"

Riley looked at her carefully, for those that knew her well enough to see the non-champion side of her she was usually rather playful, seeing her serious meant that this wasn't just a call to catch up with an old friend.

"Ya, I met him when he came to the island, back when all those steel types were going crazy, why?"

The Sinnoh Champion sighed, of course he had been there, she should have known that. "Well, have you been watching the Sinnoh League?"

"Umm, yea, you know I always do. Speaking of Ash, is he alright? He battled rather poorly today, I know you were thinking about taking him on as an apprentice." Riley had a feeling there was more to this than just Ash's poor performance.

"I was, and still am, but I was walking back from the stadium, I was actually planning on finding him to figure out what was wrong, when his Pikachu came running out of the forest. Anyway, I followed him and I found Ash unconscious, he looked like he was in pain, he has this strange blue aura around him, and he's burning up." She watched as his expression slowly turned from annoyed at being woken up to startled.

"What's his aura level at?" He asked seriously, his tone doing nothing to sooth Cynthia's nerves.

"Uhh... His what?"

"Shit... Is there anyway you can move the phone so I can see him?" Riley asked, getting closer to the screen as if it would allow him to see through her.

"Umm. Yea, one sec." Cynthia looked down and was relieved to find the small desk had wheels, she easily maneuvered the stand over to where Ash was unconscious and twitching on the bed, tilting the screen down so that he could see the rather broken looking teen.

"Oh Mew... Lucario?" Cynthia's Lucario turned to look at the screen that had a now worried looking Riley. "You need to transfer some aura into Ash. If he keeps this up he is going to deplete his Aura core, and well, we all know what will happen then..."

"What will happen?" Cynthia asked, though wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"He'll die." Yup, she definitely didn't want to hear that.

"Lucario, can you help him?" Cynthia asked looking sadly at the young man she had grown rather fond of.

Lucario didn't answer, he sat down on the bed and placed his paws together in front of him, as she had seen him do numerous times when he was meditating. Several moments passed and she was starting to worry, Ash's convulsions had gotten slightly out of control. Pikachu and Garchomp were trying to hold him down with some success when Lucario's body took on a light blue glow.

A beam of aura shot out of Lucario's paws, directly towards Ash. No one moved, no one breathed. Ash's limbs had stopped convulsing, he was now laying limp, the pained expression slowly leaving his face, and the aura that had felt so dark and angry turned into a lighter, calmer blue that weaved itself around his body.

"Are his levels stable?" Riley asked when he saw the aura jackal pokemon open his eyes. It took a moment for Lucario to shake his head and get his bearings, panting heavily he placed his paws over the black haired teen.

Lucario turned back to Riley and his trainer and nodded. Cynthia let out a long sigh of relief, she sat down next to the unconscious trainer on the bed and gently cupped his cheek as she had earlier. She felt even more relieved when her hand touched his cool face, the fever having faded with the raging emotions that had been surrounding him.

"What's going on?" She looked back over at the video-phone but didn't remove her hand from Ash's cheek.

The Aura Guardian noticed her hand and forced himself not to smile or make a joke that would surely end with him running from a rather powerful Garchomp. Pushing the thoughts out of his mind he glanced at the boy laying on the bed.

"Has it really happened Lucario?"

The black and blue jackal pokemon looked at the aura guardian seriously, and nodded. A small intake from Riley of his fears being confirmed was all it took for Cynthia to send a seriously evil-looking glare at the man.

"If you don't tell me what is going on right this instant I will come to Iron Island personally and kick your ass all the way back to the mainland!" Cynthia Shirona did not like being in the dark about something. She calmed down when she looked down at Ash, who during her small, yet convincing tirade, had unconsciously moved closer to the beautiful woman. She gave a soft sigh and gently picked his head up, laying it in her lap and running a comforting hand through his hair.

Terrible battle or not he obviously had some reason for battling so poorly, this just confirmed the fact. She would take him as her apprentice and together they could become the most powerful trainer's in the history of the Pokemon League. The thought brought a smile to her face as she continued running her hands through his hair. '_So soft' _she thought to herself with a smile, one that only grew as the unconscious trainer moved closer to her, snuggling into her stomach with a content sigh.

Riley watched this through the screen, and amused smile gracing his face as she saw how quickly her temper had been doused. "So... how long have you been in love with a sixteen year old boy? You know the press is going to have a field day when they find out." His smirk only growing when he saw the scandalized look on her face.

She blinked several times and looked at him in astonishment. "What on earth are you talking about? Clearly you have been on that stone-pit you call an island far too long if you are entertaining ideas of me in love with a mere boy." She looked back down at the black haired youth. "It is not uncommon for someone in my position to be affectionate towards their apprentice."

Riley barked with laughter. "Bet you won't call him a boy when you wake up tomorrow," he said with a snort, "and if that is good old mentor/apprentice _'affection'_ then I need to find myself a mentor, preferably one with a nice..."

"Riley!" The blonde beauty cut him off before he could finish, "Don't talk like that in front of Ash! You'll corrupt him!"

"He's unconscious..." the smirk on his face grew. "So protective of your love interest."

The Sinnoh Champion growled at him, "Don't you dare change the subject, dammit Riley, what is wrong with Ash, why is he glowing."

Riley looked slightly amused, "Sure your not the one changing the subject?"

Cynthia's glare was enough to tell him the time for teasing was over.

"Look..." The aura guardian let out a long sigh. "I can't exactly tell you. Before you yell at me, know that I would, if I could. What is happening to Ash is a ancient and slightly scary process, one that hasn't been seen in over a century. If you were to however, come to Iron Island and happened to be their when I explain everything to Ash then no harm done, but I'm under an oath, just like anyone else who would know anything about this is.

"All I can tell you, is that tomorrow when you wake up. Ash isn't going to be the Ash you remember. On the inside he will still be the same, I think... For the most part he should be. Physically he is going to be changed drastically. The only thing I can say is be there for him, he is going to be confused, and probably won't know what to do with himself. Keep him happy, keep him safe, do what you need to do and sort out your various affairs. You will both have to come here and you need to be ready to spend quite a bit of time here. The sooner that is possible the better."

Cynthia looked at the man in confusion, and couldn't help but ask the first thing that came to her mind. "Was that rehearsed?"

Riley flushed slightly and nodded. "We are all prepared for this, should it happen. Never thought I would be the one though..."

"The one? The one to what? Riley... isn't their anything you can tell me? You said you would explain it to Ash, can't he call you tomorrow and you can explain then? And what the hell do you mean by 'Physically he is going to be changed drastically'?"

The Aura Guardian sighed, he loved Cynthia like a sister, but she could be incredibly stubborn. _'Perfect match for Ash' _he thought with a satisfied smirk.

"Cynthia, please just trust me on this. I'm confused too, none of this was suppose to happen, for at least two years anyway... And no, I have to explain everything in person. As for the physical changes, you'll see for yourself. I'm sorry, I really am Cynthia, but all the arguing in the world isn't going to change this."

The blonde sighed and nodded. "He'll be alright won't he?" She looked down at Ash, who was still snuggled into her stomach, concern evident on her face.

Riley smiled softly, he had seen the Champion side that the whole world saw, and the playful side that only came out around her close friends. Now he was seeing the loving and caring side of Cynthia. He doubted she knew herself how close she was with the trainer, _'Ash Ketchum, you are one lucky man indeed.'_

Shaking those thoughts off he smiled at the blonde. "He will be fine Cynthia, as long as he has people that care for him."

That brought a thought that had been bugging Cynthia since she found him, but had pushed it to the back of her mind. Where the hell where Dawn and Brock? She sighed, so many questions, and any answer she received simply brought more questions with them.

"You should get some sleep, your going to have to do some shopping tomorrow."

Cynthia opened her mouth to ask what he meant by that but quickly shut it again, knowing she wouldn't get an answer. She merely nodded and with one final look at the two Riley ended the call. The blonde beauty looked down at the ebon haired youth curled up rather adorably in her lap. With gentle hands she picked up his head and placed it on the pillow. She gave Lucario and Pikachu a curious look clearly asking if they would watch over him. Both nodded and Pikachu cuddled up next to Ash while Lucario sat at the end of the bed, watching Ash intently.

The Sinnoh beauty slowly got off the bed and moved the video-phone back to its previous position and walked to the door. Garchomp followed her out and walked into the hallway as she watched her trainer turn off the lights and cast a glance at the young man. Cynthia slowly closed the door, it was about to click shut when she stopped.

The Sinnoh native opened the door and slid back into the room. Garchomp watched in amusement as her trainer slowly made her way over to the bed, going slowly so she didn't trip over anything in the dark. Cynthia pulled the covers up over Ash, leaving only his head sticking above them, which was still covered in a pulsing blue aura. She smiled and leaned down, kissing his forehead softly, "Sweet dreams Ash. I have no idea what is going on, but we'll figure it out, and face whatever it is together. If you'll have me as a mentor that is." She whispered, adding the last sentence as more of an afterthought, before making her way back to the door, closing it and walking down the hall into her own bedroom.

With a tired sigh she changed into more comfortable clothes and slid under the covers. Thoughts of what was going to happen the next day clouded her thinking. Finally with a yawn she forced the thoughts away and slipped into light sleep. If only she knew what she would wake to tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>And there it is. Chapter 2 :)<strong>

**For anyone who is going to complain about Cynthia being OOC I just have to ask you, what is Cynthia's set character? All we ever see is the ass-kicking Champion and I'm sure she is not like that around people she is close with. The glimpse we get about her not being able to decide on a type of Ice-cream should be enough to dispel the thought she is a hard Champion all the time.**

**Cynthia's character in this story is how I always picture it. She is not going to be weak by any means, she is a completely bad ass champion regardless, but at the same time she won't be invincible, everyone has fears and dreams, she is no different.**

**Ash is going to go through a change. That will be explained later. For now to settle any of your OOC fears. He isn't going to be so bloody naïve when this is over. He has been through to much to be some naïve kid still. He has grown up, partly because of his experience and partly because of what he is going through right now.**

**If you cant stand Ash being unlike he is in canon I suggest you stop reading now. He isn't going to be somehow insanely powerful or all-knowing or anything ridiculous like that but he is going to act his age, and act as he should after all he went through.**

**Ok – Stepping off of Soap Box Now. Let me know what you think. Better? Worse? Should I go hang myself? I'm not actually going to commit suicide if you tell me to but at least it would explain your feelings toward me.**

**Hope You enjoyed. - Chapters are going to be at least 4k +. First chapter was awful short but it was the first chapter.**

**~MyLifeMyRules~**


	3. Chapter 3 Awakening

**Hola, Bonjour, Hello, Uhmm... I don't know any other languages. **

**Anywho... Welcome to Aura's Chosen, where we make the possible, unpossible. Yea. Chew on that one for awhile.**

**Disclaimer: Do I own Pokemon? No. Am I going to be making any money off of this? Again, the answer is unfortunately no. Can you imagine if we made money off of Fan fiction? Think of all the terrible stories we would have to sift through to find a good one!**

**Anywho..**

**I Digest. Err... - Digress? -Yea.. That one. -**

**Aura's Chosen.**

**Chapter 3 – Awakening.**

Darkness. How could one describe darkness? To some darkness was blackness, an almost living thing that could hide one's worst fears so they would never see them approaching. Others may describe darkness as a state of being, a mental condition that leads one to do undesirable things. Some may even describe darkness as a safe house, where they are protected in shadows from that which would cause them harm. People could have multiple views on darkness throughout the course of their lives, their perspective of it changing based on their situation.

Right now, darkness was simply darkness. What had to happen before light came. Nothing sinister about it, no feeling of being protected, and no desire to cause someone pain. This darkness was simply there, something that had to be waited out before one could understand.

It felt as though a switch somewhere had been flicked on and awareness slowly flooded into being. There was no light yet, no visual to go with this new sensation of awareness. It felt as one should feel when awakening from a very deep and long slumber. Nothing made sense, smells were unfamiliar, the taste was uncommon, noises were out of synch, and his surroundings felt out of place.

His surroundings?

Memories flooded into him like a long forgotten dream. He was Ash Ketchum. The memories continued to flow into him, each one finding its rightful place in his mind as if they had never been anywhere else. Seeing the memories of ones life as he had almost felt as if one was reliving them. Every mistake was scrutinized, every movement analyzed, and every word documented.

With every memory tucked away in his mind he was almost uncertain that they had ever left in the first place, he couldn't explain it but the feeling of emptiness being filled by the memories of his life was the only thing that was keeping him from dismissing the idea that the 'memory flood' had even taken place.

Right then... He knew who he was, and had his memories back, that in itself was an awkward thing to claim since he had been unaware they were missing until they came back. Next came the question of where he was and what had caused such a strange event. Looking back through the re-acquired memories he found the latest one. He had been at the Sinnoh League, preparing to face Paul, when he had gotten the phone call.

His mother had died.

That was the last thing he remembered, being told by the old Professor of Palet that his home had been attacked, people in cloaks surrounding the house, calling out their pokemon and ordering them to destroy it. His house had burned to the ground, with his mother inside of it.

The darkness that had returned after the torrent of memories was lit up in glowing, angry, and vicious looking streaks of color. The bloodiest of reds, sickest of greens, and most violent of purples flashed through the darkness as anger, hate, sorrow, and regret made its' presence known.

The emotions seemed familiar, yet in a strange and delusional way. The colors and feelings continued to flash, despite his best attempts to control them. He almost felt as though he would die. Their strength was over-powering him and he was helpless to watch as they ate away at whatever life was left in him.

Then, everything changed. The angry streaks of color where still there but it felt as if they were being snuffed out. Wonderful waves, colored in a comforting yellow and soft pink washed over the entire space. The angry flashes happened less and less, and with each diminishing moment they felt less powerful. The waves remained, feelings of care, concern, and love flowed into the space, efficiently eroding the darkness that had previously been prominent.

Slowly, as if letting down a barrier he allowed them to come closer to him. Him? He certainly didn't have a body here, he was more like a presence in a vast expanse, with no idea of what lay beyond.

The wonderful waves of care and love embraced his presence. They felt almost familiar somehow. The waves wrapped around him in a protective cocoon. Tugging at him, as if they wanted to take him somewhere. Without a second thought he allowed the waves to carry him forward.

The darkness disappeared as he was carried away, and before he knew it, his eyes were open and he was looking at the surroundings that had felt strange to him.

* * *

><p>Odd. That would be the word he would use to describe his surroundings.<p>

The feeling of weightlessness he had been experiencing throughout the entire ordeal had left him, and the burdens of a body were once again upon him. The strange thing was that it didn't feel like he remembered it. It was like he was in someone else's body and he couldn't figure out how it worked.

After several moments of trial and error he managed to figure out how to move his arms and legs again. Though it felt strange, as if he was a newborn babe and had little control of his body. Giving up the thoughts with a long sigh he turned his attention towards the odd surroundings he had been fascinated with before his motor control dilemma had forced his attention away.

He was in a strange clearing, in a forest if he had to guess. Though it was unlike any forest he had ever seen before. The trees around him where made up of hundreds of different colors and shades, no two of them looking exactly the same. They weren't uniformed stripes or polka dots either, the colors looked as if they were randomly splashed on to the trees, no shapes looking the same.

Tearing his eyes away from the incredibly strange looking trees he looked at the ground he was sitting on, though it didn't look like the ground at all. He could feel and see the blades of grass beneath and around him, but nowhere in sight was there a blade of green or a mound of brown dirt. The grass was a beautiful blue, with a couple of white areas that looked suspiciously like clouds. And stranger still all the light in the area seemed to be coming from the ground, as it was almost glowing beneath him.

Almost afraid of what he would see if he looked up, and having a good idea of what it would look like, he forced himself to crane his neck and look at the sky. Or was it the ground? It certainly looked like the ground from a couple thousand feet away. Patches of green, yellow, and brown made up the almost quilt-like pattern of the sky, or ground, he wasn't sure anymore.

"Multicolored trees, standing on the sky, and looking up at the ground. Throw on top of that the fact that the body I'm in sure as hell ain't mine, and add to that my voice sounds nothing like it should and you get one fucked up experience that's for sure." He blinked, it felt slightly better to talk aloud, but it was incredibly unsettling to have it be in a voice that wasn't his own, still he felt somewhat better.

That is until he heard someone chuckle behind him. "Would you believe that pretty much everyone says something along those lines when they arrive? Although, I must admit, your version certainly seems... colorful."

Ash spun around, standing at the same time, although unfamiliar with this foreign body he tripped over his feet and promptly fell back on his ass. This brought more laughter from the man now in front of him.

"Ah, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that, ever since that bastard Niccholi did it to me. Oh right, where are my manners? I am..."

"Sir Aaron..." Ash finished for the man, looking at him incredulously. "But... You're dead."

This brought on a large fit of laughter as the man in front of Ash doubled over. The laughter continued for quite a few moments before the man was able to calm himself. "Oh my... I'm sorry, it's just that being cooped up in a tree for so long, I haven't heard anything remotely funny in centuries."

Ash blinked several times, and raised an eyebrow at him, "I've gone completely mental haven't I? The insane trees, sky-ground, and ground-sky was one thing, now I'm having a conversation with someone who died centuries ago."

Aaron smiled at him, "Who said I died? I may have given my life, but with a host like the Tree of Beginning and some aura you'd be amazed at how nature can work sometimes. Though I must admit, having a body again feels amazing."

Ash stared at him for several minutes, "If you were alive and part of the Tree, why didn't you help us when it went berserk and tried killing us?"

Riley's expression darkened considerably, "I.. I tried.. But you don't understand what it was like... As I said I am a part of it, and the 'virus' that was infecting it.. I had never felt so helpless, watching you, and Lucario...There was nothing I could do."

Ash looked at him curiously, "Is Lucario alright?"

"Yes! And I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help, also how incredibly proud I am of you. Haven't been trained a day in your life, still had the block on your core, and yet you still managed to access and control your aura."

Ash opened his mouth to ask something, only to close it again when he realized just how many things he wanted to ask.

Aaron laughed, "I know, you have hundreds of questions. I remember I sure did. Although it's probably even worse for you. Picked an incredibly bad time to prematurely destroy your block you did. I can't imagine what that body your in feels like, it was complicated enough going through that growth over two years, but over-night... We're going to have to work on that."

Ash blinked several times, "This happened to you?" It was the only question he could think of that wouldn't simply confuse him more.

"Of course! You don't think a Chosen just unlocks all his powers over a short period of time and is magically ready to protect the world do you? Even a Chosen needs some guidance, someone to help them understand what is happening and give them the tools to survive until they get to their earthly mentor."

_Well, so much for not confusing me more than I already am.. _Ash thought bitterly.

Aaron seeing the look on Ash's face decided to take pity on him. "Okay, so, you have questions I'm sure, and I have a feeling until I answer the ones that I can, you're not going to do anything I tell you to right?"

Ash blinked and then nodded. "What is going on?"

The question only made the medieval hero laugh, "Sure know how to narrow it down don't you!" Seeing that Ash wasn't laughing he decided to move on, "Right, anyway. Right now, you're in your mind, sort of."

"So your in my mind?" Ash asked him, feeling somewhat violated that someone else was in his mind with him.

"No! No! Not at all. I am, umm. This is harder than I thought it would be. Basically, there is a link, between us, that is how we are communicating right now. I was the last Chosen, that is until you came along. That means it's my responsibility to teach you, prepare you, and in any way I can help you save the world."

"Save the world from what? What the hell is a 'Chosen', and why the hell do I feel like.. like I'm not myself anymore?"

Aaron sighed, "I don't know what the threat is to be honest, no one has ever broken their block early. A Chosen is someone with great power, like an Aura Guardian, except much more powerful. A Chosen is aura's way to restore balance. As for why you feel so different, every Chosen is selected at birth, someone with a good heart, and a strong will. They are given a gift, a truly incredible gift to wield aura like no one else can, in order to save the world.

"Normally this gift becomes apparent around the age of sixteen. Basically, a Chosen will grow little through there first years of life, your aura absorbs the energy and causes it to grow to incredible levels, and the more it grows, the more powerful it becomes. Then, at about the age of sixteen, your aura will reach it's peak and all the energy that was taken from your body is given back. This usually takes place over two years time, allowing your body to become accustomed to the change and power."

Ash's thoughts were a whirlwind. He was supposed to be some kind of hero, but where had being a hero gotten him? He had lost everything, now he had even lost his body for some foreign thing that he could barely even stand in.

"Ash?" Aaron broke him away from his thoughts. "Could I run a few tests on you? Your block broke, and instead of the gradual increase that should of happened, it was more like a flood. I have a feeling there is more that you don't remember, and something caused this break."

He looked up at him curiously, and for the first time got a good look at him. He looked exactly like he had in the picture in Cameron. Aaron was wearing the same clothes, cloak, and the same (in Ash's opinion) silly looking hat. He realized that Aaron was young once as well, and apparently had gone through something similar to what Ash was.

He sighed, he needed to figure out whatever was happening. Even if he didn't like it, it was obvious that he couldn't simply ignore it. Finally, coming to a conclusion he nodded his head to the former Chosen in front of him and watched as a blue energy formed around his hands.

"Just relax and close your eyes."

Ash did as he was told and felt a strange tickling feeling in his mind but ignored it and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how long he had been 'closing his eyes and relaxing' but eventually he felt the strange tickle leave and was told he could open his eyes.

He was met with a curious looking Aaron. "It would appear that you are hiding a few memories of what happened after, well, umm, after..."

"After I was told my mother had been killed."

"Er... Yes." Aaron looked at him curiously, slightly surprised by the lack emotions he seemed to show.

Lack of emotions. "Ah ha!" As if a light bulb had been turned on over Aaron's head he was able to put together what had happened.

"Ash, I need you to completely relax your body and enter your mind. Look for something that is being hidden and break through the barrier. It should contain whatever memories your self-conscious is hiding from you."

He blinked several times at him, he was joking right? Enter his mind and find a barrier than poke at it until it breaks? Maybe being a tree for so many centuries had addled _his_ mind a little.

Aaron saw the look of disbelief and smiled, "Just trust me will you, you might be amazed at what you find."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes Ash closed them and tried to relax his alien body. Feeling foolish he tried 'entering his mind' only to find that nothing happened.

"You have to actually think you can enter your mind. Eventually it will become second nature, but for now try to completely clear your mind then focus on the blackness."

"I thought you said we were in my mind already?"

"Well, technically we are on the link that was formed between us. Besides as long as you have your body here, you can't really be inside your mind now can you?"

Ash rolled his eyes behind the closed lids and tried to clear his mind, which in itself was harder than he thought it would be. Eventually he was able to force the thousands of thoughts and questions away from himself and clear his mind, he focused on the darkness and this time he felt it.

It was like being taken away from your body and into another realm entirely. Images, sounds, memories, all floating past him. A part of him was still aware of the surroundings of his body and he felt a shift in them. Dismissing it he felt around for a barrier, and surprisingly, he easily found it. He felt the barrier and prodded it. It resisted the first prod and he attempted it again, this time with greater force. The barrier broke and more memories flooded into him.

His loss to Paul, sitting at the Pokemon Center, his encounter with Dawn and Brock, and eventually his mad dash through the forest was replayed through his mind.

"Ash... Come back..." The voice sounded far away, but he was able to recognize it easily enough as Sir Aaron. He managed to follow the voice and in a strange moment of weightlessness being replaced by bodily burdens he opened his eyes and saw Aaron looking down at him curiously.

"I'm guessing by our change of surroundings you were successful?"

Ash looked around and immediately saw what he meant. The trees were no longer strangely colored, the ground once again looked like the ground with green blades of grass, looking up he saw the sky was blue, a few clouds floating easily through the air and the sun shining brilliantly down at him.

A part of him strangely missed the bizarre surroundings but having a sense of normality was a great relief.

Slowly, and stiffly he sat up, the foreign body he was in seemed somehow less foreign and found he could move a bit easier than he had been able to before.

Aaron, once again reading him like a book beamed, "With all your memories back, especially the last ones before your changing it should make things a little easier. I'm most curious how you broke the block though. Did the memories explain it?"

Ash looked up at him for a moment, the need of answers out-weighing the thoughts that he should keep the memories private. In great detail, due to Aaron's request, Ash explained what had happened after the phone call with Oak. Sir Aaron seemed more interested in how Ash was feeling during the time than what had happened. With everything explained Ash looked to Aaron for an answer that he obviously had figured out.

"Your emotions, as simple as it may sound, broke the block. You mentioned that at times you felt absolutely nothing, and at others it felt as though a dam had broken. That was your aura, it made you a bit... moody."

Ash stared at him for a long moment. "So all of this is happening because my emotions destroyed some kind of block that was placed on my aura?" he asked, unbeknownst to him his voice started rising. "And on top of that every bit of energy that is usually for growing has somehow been increasing my aura capacity until it reached some kind of peak that somehow makes me incredibly powerful even though I don't have the slightest idea as to how I would call upon or control anything like that?

"Oh, and lets not forget that said energy then rushed into my body making me look like Arceus knows what because there are no mirrors in this godforsaken place! Which to my understanding is some kind of magical link near my mind that connects me with the fabled Sir Aaron 'Savior of the Medieval World'. And while I'm in this magical land my body is wasting away in some forest where no one would be able to find me. Have I gotten it all correct mister hero? Have I?"

Somewhere through Ash's tirade he had started yelling, and he couldn't describe how good it felt to let it all out of him. It felt as though all the remaining emotions that had been running rampant in him, all the left over aura that had not found a place in his body had been expelled. For the first time since he had awoken in this nightmare he felt strangely peaceful.

Aaron stared at him for quite a while as Ash's breathing slowed down and became regular again. When he was sure the teen in front of him had calmed down he raise an eyebrow, "Feel better I hope?"

"Much." Was Ash's simple answer.

"Good, you lasted longer than I did anyway. After about five minutes with that annoying oaf Niccholi I was screaming my head off, threatened to remove his bits if he didn't send me back to my body at once I did. Of course we had good laughs about it later, still I'm glad you refrained from threatening my bits. You do look rather imposing.

"Anyhow, now that you have all that off your chest and everything's back into place we need to teach you how to control your aura. That little outburst probably would have blown up everything within a square mile of you if you were back in the real world."

"Why do you call it that? The real world? Isn't this real?"

"Ah! Now we are getting somewhere! Logical, narrowed down questions that aren't so open ended that the only answer that would satisfy them is something just short of the answer to life! That is usually the first sign that we're getting somewhere! Excellent."

Ash blinked several times at him before raising a curious eyebrow.

"Oh right, well, this is real. But we are in your mind, or as you rather correctly put it, a link. Your not here consciously, and thus can't technically be considered real."

"So.. this is like a dream?"

"Exactly! That is a magnificent way to describe it, although you have free will in what you do here and you will remember everything that happened when you wake up. Although for me, I had a hard time convincing myself it wasn't just a dream. Your experience, and um, appearance should be enough to persuade yourself though."

"Appearance? Exactly what do I look like?"

Aaron smirked, "Why don't you see for yourself, as you so eloquently put it we are in a way in your mind. If you were to imagine a mirror or a small pond I'm sure something would happen."

Ash looked at him as if he had grown a second head, but nevertheless imagined a mirror in front of him. When nothing appeared he looked towards Aaron exasperated.

"Your trying to hard. Just picture a mirror, focus on the details, oh, and don't forget the glass. Its not a very useful mirror if it doesn't, well you know, reflect things."

"Right..."

Clearing his mind as he had earlier he focused on the space in front of him. He saw the mirror clearly in his mind and willed it into being. He opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them, and his jaw dropped.

In front of him, where there had before been an empty space was now standing a tall, plain mirror, exactly like the one he had pictured. The mirror however was the last thing he was thinking about.

The image looking back at him was completely foreign, like nothing he had ever seen before. He blinked several times, hoping that when he opened his eyes the strange reflection would be gone, alas it was no use.

The image staring back at him was him, when he moved his hand up to his face the image mirrored the move, and slowly he began running his hand across the alien features.

His cheekbones were higher, and his face had a more angular look. The figure was much taller, proof of the fact were his previously loose jeans that now barely went past his knees. There was muscle in places there hadn't been before. Any baby fat that had still been residing on his body was gone, replaced mostly by muscle, though not bulking it appeared his aura had toned every last inch of him.

Perhaps the most noticeable change he saw though was his hair. His hat was gone and the normally unruly hair was laying flat on his head. Slowly he reached up and ran a hand through the alien strands and immediately regretted doing so as the well placed hair fell into his eye, and despite his attempts to put it back where it had been it seemed insistent that it poke his eye.

Blowing the strands away in a last attempt only to have the fall back over his eye he gave up and stared at what had originally caught his attention. Streaks of blue ran through his hair in no particular way. The streaks of blue really brought out the blue in his eyes.

He froze.

His eyes were blue. The former brown eyes had turned into a dark blue that gave even himself shivers as he stared into the cold depths of them.

Aaron, who had been watching Ash carefully ever since the mirror appeared slowly walked behind him, so both of them were in the mirror.

"You know." Ash jumped slightly as his eyes flicked up to Aaron, "I had the same blue streaks in my hair when I went through the change, as soon as I completed my training they went away though."

Ash's eyes flicked back up the strange blue streaks before nodding.

"As for the eyes, they say that going through the change turns you into what your soul-mate would consider perfection."

"Really?" Ash asked, his voice cracking slightly, but his curiosity being more prominent than his shock.

"Yup, that's what they say, although I wouldn't put too much stock into it. My eyes turned green, and my wife favored brown eyes. Oh, and that trick with the mirror, might want to make yourself some new clothes while your at it. I've kept myself from laughing so far, but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold it in."

The black and blue haired teen looked back at his reflection, this time looking at his clothes. He had to admit, Aaron was right, he looked rather ridiculous in the clothes that were several times too small for him.

This time he was able to clear his mind and succeeded in creating the new clothes on his first attempt.

"Hmm.. white pants, white shoes, and a black shirt. You know I thought you were more colorful than that after seeing those trees that were here earlier."

Ash shrugged, feeling slightly better with fitting clothes and looking at his reflection again decided that the changes weren't too bad. The blue in his hair would have been almost comical if it weren't for the piercing blue eyes that lay beneath.

Not wanting to look into the eyes any longer he banished the mirror, and to his satisfaction the glass shattered and wood broke before it disappeared, like it had never been there.

Aaron rose an eyebrow at the display but decided not to comment. "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"Well, first things first, we need to get you used to your body, lot of good it will do you if you end up tripping and falling off a cliff. Not only that but we need to find your limits. Your strength, agility, and speed has increased exponentially and if you cant figure out your limits you will never be able to reach your true potential."

"So that's it? I stay here with you while we do all this, meanwhile my actual body is going to rot in some forest."

"Oh I don't know about that. But if it makes you feel any better it might feel like a couple of days here, but I can assure you, you will wake up the morning after your little escapade through the forest and be just as confused as ever!"

Ash gave him a look that could only be described as 'you've got to be kidding me' before deciding to go along with it.

_'What's the worst that could happen? I wake up and realize it was all just a dream and I had bumped my head to hard?'_

The blue eyed teen thought about it for a moment before correcting himself, _'Actually, the worst that could happen would be I wake up and realize it wasn't a dream.'_

With a resigned sigh he looked at the former Chosen in front of him. "What exactly are you going to teach me here?"

Aaron smiled, "We need to get you used to your new body, work on controlling your emotions and your aura, and we need to find the extent of your change so you can become accustomed to what you can and can't do."

"Wait, your not going to teach me how to use my aura?"

"Of course not, that is a job for your earthly mentor. I teach you about the Chosen and whatever else he can't teach you."

"My earthly mentor?"

"You know, your mentor, that teaches you things, back on earth?"

The Chosen teen rolled his eyes. "And how, pray tell, do I find him?"

"You won't, he will find you. Or I suppose you could find him. Hmm.. Never thought about it. Don't worry though, Aura wouldn't let you flounder about without someone to teach you the basics."

"You speak of aura as if it were a living thing."

"Ahh. But who's to say it isn't? Anyhow, off subject, that will be for your mentor to teach you, not me,"

"If it doesn't matter how long I stay here, why don't you just teach me?"

"Because, no matter how much we wanted it to the body you are in currently is not the real one. It's an exact replica yes, but for you to become stronger you need to actually do things, not just think you did them. Don't worry so much about that, the premature breaking gives you a good two years head start at least."

Ash stared at him for a long minute. "This whole Body and Mind thing is rather confusing."

"Indeed! Now enough talk."

With that, the talking ended and Ash was put to the test. The first one being walking without falling, which took quite some time to actually master.

The sky never darkened even though somewhere an inner clock told him it should have by now. He found his body never tired, Aaron explained again that it wasn't his real body and therefore didn't have the limitations of one.

Ash finally was starting to get the hang of his new body, and right when he was starting to get the hang of one exercise Aaron would increase the difficulty. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, the sun never moved nor darkened but somewhere his inner clock told him it had been more than three days. Three days of constant movement. There were so many new things to learn in the alien body.

Ash had to get used to the new length of his limbs, regain all the coordination he had lost, and test his new strength and speed. The exercises where never-ending but well worth it when towards the end of the third day Ash was feeling comfortable in his new body.

"The changes in your strength and speed won't seem quite as drastic here, just be careful once you go back until you learn them."

When Aaron deemed him able enough to at least 'not trip and fall off a cliff' they changed from physical exercise to mental ones. The Medieval Hero taught him different breathing techniques to calm himself as well as several forms of meditation. Clearing his mind and even entering it became easier with practice and it was amazing how good he felt.

The meditation and breathing helped his coordination tremendously as he realized just how closely connected his mind and body where.

"Your mind, body, spirit, and of course your aura are connected so closely that when one of them is damaged or handicapped it will affect the others as well." Aaron reminded him this many times, claiming he had come up with it himself.

* * *

><p>Of course all things must come to an end and this was no different. He couldn't be completely sure of how long he had stayed with Aaron but he had to guess over a week. Without the need to sleep or eat they had accomplished more than he would have ever thought possible in such a short amount of time.<p>

"That is all I can do for you right now. It's time for you to go to your mentor and learn what he has to teach you."

Ash gave him a calculating look, "That's all you can teach me _right now?_" he repeated, emphasizing the last two words.

Aaron let out a bark of laughter. "Very good, Ash. Yes, for now you must go. Learn the basics, have some fun, find yourself a lady friend perhaps?"

The black and blue hair teen rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling slightly.

"Remember this Ash. When the time comes that your mentor can teach you no more. When the time comes that you feel your power is limited, come to me, where my body rests. It is there that you will continue your training. It is there that you will learn to reach your true potential."

"The Tree of Beginning?"

Aaron looked like Ash had just stomped on his favorite toy. "You're not supposed to figure it out that easily! It's suppose to be a riddle! You ruin everything!" The Chosen pouted.

Ash grinned, "Sorry."

"Yea yea, whatever. Just go back and leave me to mope in peace."

"Err.. Right. How do I go back exactly?"

The evil smile on Aaron's face was enough to make Ash roll his eyes. "You don't know mister smartypants? And here I thought you knew everything!"

"You're just mad that you're rubbish at riddles."

"Hmph."

There was a long silence, that stretched on for several minutes.

"So... about getting back to my body."

Aaron smiled, "You remember that part of your mind, the part that felt sort of like your body? Enter your mind and burst through the barrier. You should wake up then."

"Should?" Ash asked uncertainly.

"Yup! Before you go I have one last piece of advice." His face grew serious and Ash looked up at him carefully. "Don't let your loved ones go. There may come a time when you seek solitude, when you want to push them away, when you feel like you must take the burdens of the world and bear them by yourself. Don't do it. Keep them close to you and protect them. Without them, life can be hardly worth living."

Ash cocked his head slightly and looked down, "I wish I would have been there, when my mother... I can't help but feel that it's my fault."

Aaron looked at him closely. "Sometimes forgiving yourself is harder than asking others for forgiveness."

Ash nodded, and with one last look at Aaron he closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts.

"I'll see you at the Tree of Beginnings then."

"Insufferable B-"

Ash didn't hear the rest as he found the weighed down part of his mind and examined it carefully. He could feel his body behind the barrier. With a deep breath and one last thought he broke the barrier.

_'I'm coming Pikachu.'_

* * *

><p>Darkness. How would one describe darkness?<p>

Darkness was what he saw all around him. His senses were coming back to him, memories rushed into him like a flood.

He was afraid to open his eyes. Afraid to leave the comforting darkness where everything made sense.

_'Gotta find out sooner or later'_

With great mental effort he opened his eyes and examined his surroundings curiously.

_'I was in the forest... Where am I? Was it all a dream?'_

He looked around the room, taking in more details. Pikachu curled up by his side, that was the only thing familiar about his surroundings. He definitely wasn't in his room at the Pokemon Center on Lily of the Valley Island. _'So where am I?'_

Deciding to put a hold on figuring out his surroundings when he saw a small bathroom connected to the bedroom he got up with a grunt, careful to avoid disrupting his yellow electric companion. His body was stiff and every inch of him was sore beyond belief.

He tripped slightly when he took his first step and looked down, his previously loose jeans barely went past his knees. Eyes wide and breathing faster than normal he moved towards the bathroom quickly.

He found himself in front of a mirror, but couldn't bring himself to look up at it. He knew what he would see. Instead he examined the sink below him, trying to put off the inevitable.

With a tired sigh, and a deep breath he looked up.

He saw blue.

* * *

><p>Lucario who had been awake at the end of Ash's bed felt a shift. His eyes widened as he saw the boy in front of him get enveloped in a bright blue light, overpowering the aura that had been surrounding him all night.<p>

The light blinded him and he had no choice but to look away. When he turned back, in the bed wasn't the boy he had been looking after all night, but a man, with striking figures and blue streaks in his hair. The blue aura that had been surrounding him all night was finally gone.

Eyes wide, he jumped off the bed and slid out the door before he could open his eyes. Immediately heading for his Master's bedroom he entered and shared a glance with Garchomp, who appeared to be just waking up.

They nodded at each other and Lucario softly padded up to his master's bedside. With a gentle touch he shook her shoulder, she didn't wake. Lucario rolled his eyes and looked at Garchomp, who was fighting a smile. The jackal pokemon once again tried gently shaking his master, his efforts just as effective as last time.

Garchomp decided to help her comrade, obviously the boy she had carried in last night was awake and she was sure her trainer would want to go see him.

The large dragon extended a powerful paw and shook her trainer's shoulder, much less gently than Lucario had.

* * *

><p>Cynthia's gorgeous silver eyes opened slowly, as she was nudged again in the shoulder.<p>

"Mmph.. too early.. need.. sleep.." The silver eyes once again were closed off to the rest of the world.

The nudging continued and with a sigh she opened her eyes again. "What?" she complained.

Another nudge.

"Fine, Fine! I'm up. Ugh. Next time your sleeping in your poke balls. Now what was so important that you had to wake me up?" Cynthia Shirona was not a morning person.

Lucario looked at her curiously before pointing towards the wall that separated her's and Ash's room.

Her eyes widened, instantly awake she started questioning the aura pokemon. "Is he awake? Is he alright?" Lucario just pointed again.

Together the three of them made their way to the other bedroom. Cynthia knocked softly on the door, "Ash?" she called softly cracking the door open a bit. There was no response so she slowly opened the door more and looked in, seeing the empty bed she gave Lucario a curious look.

Lucario motioned towards the bathroom and together the three of them walked towards it, Garchomp on alert just in case. When they were close enough to the door to see in Cynthia froze, her eyes wide.

"Ash? Is that you?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Ash is that you?"<em>

He couldn't believe it. Well he could, the proof was looking at him in the mirror. He had been trying to wrap his mind around everything. It hadn't been a dream. He was grateful for the meditation and breathing techniques Aaron had taught him and he was putting them to good use.

His thoughts of what this meant for him where shattered when he heard a soft, feminine voice from the bathroom doorway.

He looked up from the sink.

Blue orbs met silver.

"Cynthia?"

* * *

><p><strong>Well then that about sums this up. What took so long was, I fell into a bad habit again. Nothing in this chapter existed at first. I had Ash waking up, Ash x Cynthia fluff, by the end of the chapter they were making out. So... When I re-read I put on the breaks and was like "WHOA!" so I scrapped it and started anew. This chapter added more to the story overall and even though there is no Ash x Cynthia it is important.<strong>

**It appears yet again a story of mine (this one) was copied word for word and re-posted. It happened with BL&P the original and now its happening with this one. I appreciate the imitation, it is a high form of flattery, but idk, maybe sending a PM asking if its okay to copy and past a story before posting it wouldn't be too much to ask for?**

**Ash x Cynthia next chapter, but I apologize in advanced – No Sex, Making out, kissing, feeling each other up, groping, or anything of the sort. (Yet) I think that would turn away a lot of you.**

**~~~ ! Shit, this is getting really long but this part is important ! ~~~**

**I don't know if you read my other story, Aura Assassin, but I can barely keep up with one story let alone two. I want your opinion, I could easily incorporate most of my ideas from Aura Assassin into this, most of it would be different abilities Ash has with aura, and perhaps some villain plot. It wouldn't really affect the overall story, but it would give Ash some cool new abilities and probably make him a bit.. darker? Not evil. Just darker. The other alternative would be to put Aura Assassin up for adoption. **

**Send me a PM, leave a review. I think incorporating the ideas into this story would be really awesome, but let me know what you think.**

**~MyLifeMyRules~**


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